At such close range, Ziqing longed to tear off this man’s mask right then and there and see his true face!
But she couldn’t—not to mention how little strength remained in her hands, even if she’d had the strength, the moment she moved, the shackles would immediately give her away with a sound.
Judging by what had just happened, he was both the mastermind behind all this and Yanzi’s partner!
Who exactly was he?
Was he someone they knew, which was why he had to meet her masked like this, speaking with a disguised voice?
Or was he another guardian of some other remnant of the Lone Island?
He was far too close, seeming utterly unafraid of her hideous face, simply staring at her.
Ziqing remained fully on guard, unable to read anything at all from those clear, bright eyes—what exactly did this man want?
But to her surprise, he did nothing at all. He merely took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her cheek, brushing away the bloodstains.
Was that all?
Could even the greatest villain show a moment of kindness?
“What, afraid I’ll bleed to death?” Ziqing scoffed coldly.
The man said flatly, “You’re already hideous enough. If you get any uglier, I’ll be disgusted.”
Such a cruel thing to say, and delivered with such a blank expression. Ziqing snorted coldly. “If it disgusts you, then don’t look!”
“Unfortunately, I’ll have to face you for a very long time yet,” the man said flatly, carefully applying medicine to her wounds all the while. She had no idea what kind of powder he used, but sprinkled on the wound, it felt cool and refreshing, and didn’t hurt in the slightest!
“What exactly do you people want from me?” Ziqing pressed, trying to seize the moment to probe. She could guess that they wanted more than just Lishang’s secret—they wanted to keep her, too!
But the man gave no answer at all. Once the medicine was applied, he didn’t even leave the handkerchief behind—it simply crumbled to dust in midair, vanishing without a trace!
He rose, stepped back, and turned to leave without a sound.
“Hey!” Ziqing called out, but the man paid her no heed at all. In an instant, he had vanished entirely.
His eyes!
Of everything Ziqing had seen, everything she had learned, all she had to go on were those clear, bright eyes!
She quickly searched her memory, running through every person she had ever met, again and again—but she simply couldn’t recall ever having seen eyes quite like those anywhere before.
Could it be that she was wrong, that this wasn’t someone she’d met before after all?
Who exactly was he?
He always hid in the shadows, watching as Yanzi resorted to every despicable means.
Jun Beiyue had sealed off the capital; he would probably dig three feet into the ground to find them next!
They couldn’t afford to stay much longer!
“Xuanyuan Lige, have you thought it through clearly?” Yanzi asked coldly.
“Since I’ll die whether I speak or not, why should I bother saying anything at all?” Xuanyuan Lige replied flatly, though his breathing was clearly far from calm.
“Trying to stall for time? Heh, someone, bring Han Ziqing up here!” Yanzi decided at once!
She had thought Xuanyuan Lige would eventually crack, but to her surprise, he hadn’t given in at all!
He only stared at her coldly. Yanzi clapped her hands repeatedly. “Very good, very good, you’re both quite the stubborn pair! Today, I’ll grant you both your wish!”
Ziqing was soon brought forward. Seeing that her wounds had been treated, Yanzi’s brow furrowed sharply, and she glanced toward the dark corner nearby—but received no response at all.
Xuanyuan Lige had originally expected her to be bowed in defeat, thrashing and struggling. Instead, what he saw was a Han Ziqing holding her head high!
Dressed in stunning, breathtaking finery, her face a hideous, terrifying sight—like some ancient demon crone dressed in the robes of a heavenly immortal. No matter how one looked at it, it was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine!
And yet, despite it all, she showed not the slightest fear, not the slightest shame. She walked with her head high, looking him directly in the eye, calm and composed, just as she had every time they’d met before.
This stubbornness, this pride—it cut through Xuanyuan Lige’s heart like a knife, aching terribly!
Was it that he had underestimated her, never imagining she could be so unyielding?
Or was it that he cared for her so deeply, he couldn’t bear to see her be this strong?
How could he save her?
“String her up over there!” Yanzi said coldly, wishing she could whip Han Ziqing until she bowed her head, whip away every ounce of her sharp edge, whip her to death then and there!
But she knew full well—Han Ziqing must not die!
This was the best body she had for cultivating her poison Gu!
Ziqing was soon strung up high. She looked evenly at Yanzi’s smug face, still not knowing exactly what this woman intended.
As long as her life held value, she would absolutely never break.
She didn’t know whether Xuanyuan Lige would talk, or how much he might reveal—but at the very least, she herself would say nothing at all.
The secret of Lishang was something she and Jun Beiyue had uncovered through great hardship. Unless she died, no one would ever pry it from her lips!
“Han Ziqing, I’ll give you one last chance. Will you talk or not?” Yanzi walked over, unhurriedly dipping her long whip into a basin of chili water.
Ziqing simply ignored her, turning her head away without answering.
Then, without warning, a sharp “crack!” rang out, accompanied by Xuanyuan Lige’s sudden shout. “Wait!”
But it was too late to stop it. Ziqing felt as though the bone in her right leg had nearly been shattered, a burning, piercing pain surging instantly through her entire body!
“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything—just don’t torment her!” Xuanyuan Lige leaned forward with his entire body, the shackles nearly snapping under the strain.
Ziqing was stunned—so… so what Yanzi truly wanted to interrogate was Xuanyuan Lige!
“I don’t need your help!” Ziqing snapped at once, fierce and sharp.
She didn’t know exactly how much of Lishang’s secret Xuanyuan Lige knew, but she knew that in a situation like this, letting Yanzi succeed would bring disastrous consequences—once they had no more use for him, he would surely be put to death!
Did Xuanyuan Lige have a death wish?
Yet Xuanyuan Lige paid Ziqing no mind at all, deliberately raising his voice, speaking rapidly without pause. “Yanzi, if you’re going to hit her, wait until I’ve finished speaking. I can tell you everything—I can help you cultivate her into a poison Gu, I can even help you find the Lone Island and find the other person immune to all poisons. I guarantee you’ll never be devoured by the backlash of the poison Gu. Once you have it, the entire world of Longyuan will be yours…”
These words—these words carried far, far too much information!
Ziqing heard every word clearly, and she understood at once!
The secret of why Nanzhao had destroyed the Lone Island, the secret of her own immunity to all poisons—so this was how it all connected!
So this was Yanzi’s true purpose all along!
Had Xuanyuan Lige deliberately meant to tell her this? Ziqing stared at him, filled with suspicion, in disbelief. But Xuanyuan Lige’s next words left her utterly disappointed.
He said, “A body used to cultivate a Gu must have no wounds at all, or the Gu worm will invade through the wound and destroy the entire body.”
At this, Yanzi immediately lowered her whip. “You know even this? It seems I really did underestimate you.”
“Yanzi, you don’t have much time left to stay in the capital. Rather than tormenting us like this, why not cooperate with me instead?” Xuanyuan Lige said seriously.
Yanzi burst out laughing at once. “Xuanyuan Lige, do you take me for a fool? Do you think I don’t know you’re in love with this woman, that you’d nearly throw away your entire dream for Great Qin for her sake? You want to cooperate with me—are you really willing to let her be refined into a poison Gu?”
Yet Xuanyuan Lige said, “As long as you promise that once this is done, you’ll first help me destroy Western Chu on behalf of Eastern Qin—how could I possibly be unwilling to part with her?”